Application Instructions

Summer Research Program First-Year Medical Students
2025 Application Instructions**

Calendar: 

 

November 19, 2024 Summer Research Job Fair, MSB Leather Lounge, Noon – 1pm
December 11 & 18
January 8, 15 & 22		 Wednesdays (Noon – 1pm) Teams
How to Find a Faculty Mentor.  Meet at Mrs. Linh Trinh’s Personal Room Link see email
or by appointments
February 1

 

March 1

 Applications due – by 11:59pm CST – Dean’s Contribution Funds Consideration
*Applications should be submitted by mentor online by deadline Applications due by 11:59pm CST – ALL other applications
*Applications should be submitted by mentor online by deadline
Mid-late March  Approximate date students notified of stipend awards
Late March-Early April Participants Meeting                                                   – Mandatory Attendance
May 27 Orientation and first day of the program                 – Mandatory Attendance
July 31 Closing program and last day of program               – Mandatory Attendance
Fall Semester Research Forum (Late October/Early November

 ** The following instructions are provided with the understanding that they may be updated as required without notice.

Participation in Program:

 MS1 student in good academic standing* may now be supported either:

  1. with a Dean’s Office contribution of $2,500 coupled with a mandatory faculty contribution of at least $1,500, for a total summer stipend of $4,000
    or, as previously
  2. exclusively by faculty support (a minimum of $2,000 is suggested)

A SRP faculty review committee will select a limited number up to 60 students to receive Dean’s Office matching funds based on the merit of the student’s research proposal.

*Who is Eligible?

To receive the Dean’s Contribution Funds (DCFs), students MUST be in good academic standing at the time of application and at the start of the program (Orientation Day).  Good academic standing is when a student is not in remediation.  If a student’s remediation date is after the program start date, the student is not eligible to participate in SRP until remediation has resolved.   

Students in remediation should seek the guidance of advisors in OASA and [email protected].

To Select a Research Mentor:

  • McGovern Medical School at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth) MSI students may begin their search for a 2024 summer research project and faculty mentor any time after matriculation.
  • All McGovern Medical School faculty members engaged in research are eligible to act as a student mentor.
  • A “Research Job Fair” will be held early in the first semester where students still seeking a mentor can meet faculty and department representatives to discuss available research opportunities.
  • All students should discuss financial support with their faculty mentors.

How to Apply to the Program:

  • Make an appointment with the faculty mentor of your choice to discuss potential projects.
  • Inform him or her of the dates for the (10-week, 40 hours/week) research program, and that your stipend should be discussed.
  • With your faculty mentor, write a 1-2 page project proposal. The project proposal should be in your own words.  Extensive verbatim excerpts from faculty grants will not be accepted.
  • Fill out an application form.  Both you, and your faculty mentor, must sign the application.
  • Compose a 200-words-or-less personal statement outlining the major reasons you are interested in the Summer Research Program using the following as a guidelines:
    1. Why are you interested in doing research?
    2. Describe previous research experience
    3. Why did you select the research you chose?
    4. Why did you select your proposed faculty mentor?
    5. Additional considerations regarding your proposed research?
  • Submit your online application to include your project proposal, and your personal statement by February 1st.  

Layout of the Proposal: (Your research plan should address the following questions)

TITLE
SPECIFIC AIMS:  What do you intend to do? List your specific objectives and describe concisely what the research project is intended to accomplish and any hypotheses to be tested.
BACKGROUND AND SIGNIFICANCE:  What has already been done? — Briefly sketch the background to the present proposal, and state concisely the scientific merit and importance of the research project.
RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS:  Describe the design and the procedures you are going to use to accomplish the specific aims of the 10-week project.
ANTICIPATED OUTCOMES

You will be required to submit a one page abstract and participate in a poster presentation at the fall Research Forum on your research.

For more information, contact Linh Trinh, Senior Program Manager, Medical Student Research Office
JJL 315B  713-500-5105 or [email protected]

Update as of 12/2/2024